Spirit Song
by Water-smurf
Summary: [Sequel to Spirit Stone] The corrupt star warriors didn't go away, merely faded into the shadows. Though when they rise again, it may be those in the sidelines that pose the threat. This time, everyone seems to have become a pawn in a much bigger game.
1. Storm Gathering

Perfidia may have faded away, though her followers have done nothing of the sort. Though, this time the corrupt are not the danger. The greatest threat is the creatures they employed, and a divine game being put into play.

There was a figure in a black cloak, surrounded by obsidian pillars reaching for what looked like a stone sky. Fire burned from torches on each pillar. Red eyes peered from under a hood, examining its surroundings.

"_Why have you come?"_ an echoing voice asked from all around. The figure cocked its hooded head.

"_Your people are mingling again,"_ the figure said. A long silence hung in the air.

"_I know,"_ the voice said again.

_"Then why haven't you put a stop to it?"_ the figure asked.

"_I gave them a choice. They merely chose the wrong path."_

"_I and your people can take out the traitors, my lady, if you will only give us the aid of the others,"_ the figure said in a tone that was both pleading and respectful.

_"Are you sure you don't just wish for revenge?"_

"_Does it matter?"_

"… _Indeed. You are correct. It doesn't matter, not with this. The others will help you, though you know their behavior. Some will help you, and some will go against you."_

"_I know, my lady. I thank you humbly," _and with those words, the figure disappeared. There was silence, and one by one, the torches went out.

"_Take heed, my children. You have betrayed me, and so, your hour will come,"_ the voice said to the dark void.

---

Chron leaned out of the window, watching the storming land around the Robinson household. He was unusually sullen today, letting the pounding rain hit his face. Gray and black clouds covered the sky like a thick woolen blanket, and he wondered vaguely how Transeo and Cornelius were faring, taking a business trip in this weather. Lightning forked through the sky like a jagged knife, followed less a second later by thunder that would put the boom from a bomb to shame.

"Chron? Are you alright?" the familiar voice of Wilbur asked. Chron turned his head towards his friend and forced a smile.

"I'm fine. Go to sleep, you have school tomorrow," he said. Wilbur rolled his eyes.

"Sure, _mom_," he said. Chron normally would chuckle and put in a smart aleck comment, but he couldn't seem to manage that tonight.

"I'm a born teacher. I'll act like your parents sometimes," he said. Wilbur frowned.

"Seriously, man. What's wrong?" he asked, more firmly this time. Chron attempted a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing, I'm just overreacting. Go to bed," he said. Wilbur recognized the fact that Chron wasn't about to say anything anytime soon. He just glanced worriedly at his friend and hesitantly walked to his room, leaving Chron alone.

Chron sighed and looked out the window again. He knew he wasn't overreacting. This sense of foreboding that had eased its way into his very being could never be wrong. There was a storm coming, and he knew that they might not be ready for it.

With that thought, Chron turned to go to bed, listening to the roaring thunder behind him.

A/N

Okay. I'm actually going to do a sequel. Who'd 've thunk it. Guys, I may not be able to update as often as last time since I have two other fics moving at the moment. I'm digging my own grave, writing this. Review, please!

Disclaimer: MTR, I own not.


	2. An Attack

Lewis leaned against the tree trunk overlooking the baseball field contentedly. A light breeze picked up and ruffled his spiky blond hair. Someone swung from a branch above him and hung upside down so that their faces were together. Lewis grinned.

"Hey, Risa. How are you?" he asked. The redhead grinned.

"You should've seen the world's leaders' faces when we all went silver. France's mouth was so wide open I could've stuffed a pillow in there!" she giggled. Lewis grinned.

"I know. It was on national television. I can't believe the ruckus you guys caused," he said.

_Nor I. You'd think that some of the world's leaders would be professional enough not to scream, run, throw a chair, or try to sic the secret service on you,_ Transeo commented dryly. Risa grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yeeeaaaah, we probably could've been a little more tactful," she said.

_Probably?_

"Okay, okay, a _lot _more tactful. But the only thing that matters is that we're allowed free reign over here. Wish the religious freaks would stop making the sign of the cross when I go silver and pass them by, though," Risa said.

"You think you have it bad. Try having a bunch of third-worlders try'n to lynch you when the police isn't looking," another, slightly rougher, voice said from a branch higher than Risa's.

"Hi Justine."

"They tried to lynch you? I feel bad for them. Please tell me they walked away with their legs intact," Lewis said pleadingly. Justine rolled her eyes from the branches.

"I only broke a few fingers. Nothing too bad. The sheriff was laughing his-"

"Justine!"

"Okay, okay. He was laughing really hard when he saw the mob scurrying away like scared rabbits. Heh, maybe getting my magic to act like a ghost was too mean…" She grinned devilishly, not at all looking regretful.

_That was hardly diplomatic,_ Transeo pointed out. Justine shrugged.

"I don't really care. They were the ones who had pitchforks and torches, not me."

Risa and Justine stiffened for a moment. Their spirit stones flashed and settled again.

"Our sisters, they need help," Risa murmured.

"What?" Lewis asked, straightening and watching his aunts intently. Justine's mouth was set in a grim line.

"They just sent out a message. Our home is under attack. We've got to go."

With that, both of the star warriors flashed out of view. Lewis stood up.

"Are they going to be okay?" he asked aloud.

_You seem to forget that they are a lot older than they seem. They also have a good grasp on how to use their magic quickly. They can take care of themselves,_ Transeo said. _Yet this disturbs me. Go home, Lewis. If they aren't back by tomorrow I suggest checking on the star warriors._

Lewis nodded, tightlipped.

_Don't worry. They'll be fine,_ Transeo said reassuringly. Lewis relaxed slightly and started off towards his home. Silently, Transeo added, _I hope._

A/N

I got this in sooner than I thought. I know it's rushed, that seems to be how it always is on my first few chapters of a story. Review please!

Disclaimer: I don't own MTR.


	3. Oddities

"Risa and Justine still haven't come back," Lewis said worriedly. A week had passed since he had last seen his star warrior friends. Transeo shifted uncomfortably in his consciousness.

_  
I'm worried as well. Why don't you check on them? It's possible they forgot to tell you that they were fine,_ Transeo said. Lewis didn't take the time to respond, he only reached for his magic and he felt the world around his fade away.

The first thing he smelled was sulfur and smoke. He allowed his eyes to open slowly. Around him, the cloudy landscape was blackened by ash and silvery with blood. Lewis worriedly looked around. Everywhere buildings had crumbled and been destroyed. There were no bodies, and he saw no signs of life.

"What happened here...?" he gasped.

_I don't know, Lewis. Look around, there may be clues,_ Transeo said honestly. Lewis set his mouth in a grim line. Seeing this sort of destruction brought back unwelcome memories of Perfidia and the battle of the warriors, something he would much rather forget. He looked down and quietly walked through the battle ground, searching for something to tell him what had happened. He carefully walked into a heavily damaged building. It seemed to be an old library.

Lewis placed his feet on the sturdiest wood planks on the floor and made his way to the sooty shelves. Many of them were over turned, and books lay sprawled in all directions. Lewis picked up one of the books and opened it to the first page. In hurried handwriting, there was only a name.

_'The Virgin Moon.'_

Lewis cocked his head. "Don't they mean 'the Virgin Mary?'" he asked.

_No, the Virgin Moon is a bit like the star warrior equivalent of Mary. (Another name for her is 'The Lady of the Moon.') It's a book of religious stories, though I've never read them. Few star warriors do, in truth. They're very old, and they remember everything they have not been forced to forget and they don't remember the Lady of the Moon, therefore, they don't believe in her. She's a fairytale, _Transeo supplied. Lewis nodded and placed the delicate book on the floor in a nicer position than it was originally. He picked up another book and flipped it to the front cover.

_'Light Unto Darkness'_

Lewis mentally looked to his star warrior side.

_It's a book on theories on how Perfidia went bad when no body had known about evil beforehand. (It's only recently been written as the star warriors on the whole only recently found out about her.) It's a collection of ideas, theological and scientific alike, _Transeo explained. Lewis put the book on top of the first one and picked up another book. Yet again he checked the title.

_'The Black Star'_

_It's a story book. Pay it no mind,_ Transeo said without even being asked.

_'Human/Star Warrior Breeding: A guide to the Hybrid'_

"Okay, these things are just getting ridiculous," Lewis said, sighing.

_You could try reaching out to the star warriors. They are your family, and you have a bond with them,_ Transeo said.

"You're telling me this now?" Lewis asked.

_It's dangerous._

"Everything that has to do with my aunts is dangerous."

_Very well. Reach out for them as far as you can, until they wouldn't evade you even if they were light years away..._

Lewis closed his eyes and reached. Farther and farther he went, until he felt a spookily familiar cold sensation take him. He was suddenly falling through a black hole, deeper and deeper until he couldn't see or feel anymore, and then, all went black.

**Wilbur's Time**

Chron felt his spirit stone flash with a warning he had been expecting ever since his revelation in the storm. The corners of his mouth turned into a tense frown and like water he swiftly walked through the mansion to where he knew Wilbur to be.

"Hey, Chron! Where are you going?" a familiar voice said. Chron looked up from his stone to see a gold-colored robot stretch into view.

"I was searching for Wilbur, Carl. Do you know where he is?" Chron said in unusually stiff language. Carl cocked his head confusedly.

"He's in his room doing his homework. Are you okay?" he asked concernedly.

"I'm fine," Chron said, trying to push past the robot. His mouth pulled a very tightlipped frown when Carl refused to move.

"Seriously, little guy. What's wrong?" Carl said. Chron ignored the total déjà vu feeling he was getting and merely shoved past Carl.

"Come on! Something's wrong!" Carl apparently was more insistent than Wilbur was. He stretched out one of his arms and latched firmly on Chron's shoulder with his hand. It was then that Chron's uncharacteristic anger made him snap.

"LET ME GO!" he shouted, twisting in Carl's grip like a caged animal. He sent a flare of white hot silver fire to the hand that held him. Carl let go and Chron turned into silver mist, spinning down the hall and out of sight. He didn't turn around once to see the robot holding his horridly burned hand with a hurt expression on his face.

A/N

Okay, I'm realizing that these chapters are short. They are probably going to stay that way until I really get started with the plot. Please don't hate Chron: he has a good excuse for his actions. (-does little happy dance- My parents got a new computer fast! My parents got a new computer! Now I just need to find all my old files!) Review please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. I think you get the picture.


	4. A Cry for Help

**Wilbur's Time**

To say Wilbur was surprised when Chron slammed into his room like the wrath of hell were on his heels was an understatement. He was more surprised when Chron was muttering something about 'danger' and 'influential aura.'

He stopped muttering long enough to say, "Past. Time machine. NOW."

So it was still with no little confusion Wilbur found himself in the garage, starting up the time machine, and hadn't said a word to his parents or family about this latest development. Chron was in the back seat muttering to himself in a crazed manner and his student didn't dare question him on his odd behavior. He decided just doing what the crazy person wanted would be wisest.

When they dissolved in the time stream, Chron visibly relaxed. His muscles lost their tautness, he stopped talking to himself, and even his old easy-going smile returned but there seemed to be a small guilty gleam in his eye that made him seem more somber than usual.

"Are you okay now?" Wilbur risked asking. Chron sighed and ran a hand through his silver hair.

"I'm not sure. I don't know what's been going on with me, but it stopped when we left our time," he said. Wilbur furrowed his brow.

"Any idea as to what may be the problem?" he asked. Chron shook his head.

"None. But anyway, I asked you to get your tail to Lewis's time because, when we last met in that time, Transeo and I hooked up something that connected our spirit stones together so he could send out a distress signal should he ever need us. (Before you ask, yes, star warriors are technologically advanced enough to be able to send such a signal through time.) He sent such a signal a few minutes ago, and I'm worried about what may've happened to warrant it," he said.

"Do you know where they may be?" Wilbur asked worriedly.

"Probably in the star warrior home. And hurry it up, I don't like the sound of this," he said.

---

"How did this happen again?" Franny asked, looking up from Carl's heavily damaged and partially melted hand.

"I got it caught in the old oven while cooking dinner," he lied, wincing as Franny took out some screws to better try to fix it.

"This doesn't look like an oven burn," Franny said, raising a thin eyebrow.

"Well, it is. Chron's been acting weird, lately," Carl said, seemingly trying to change the subject. Franny sighed and decided she'd ask him about it later.

"You're right. He's been irritable lately, and Wilbur said he wasn't talking to him about it," she said. She took a laser from the tabletop and carefully tried to separate Carl's fingers.

"Really? Do you have any idea what may've gotten him so tense?" Carl asked. Franny shrugged without removing her eyes from the robot surgery.

"I don't know. He's been touchy since that storm the other day, I think. You know, come to think of it I think that most star warriors around the city have been on edge since then," she frowned and paused. "I hadn't realized it but they seem to be going in tight groups now, and every time I say hi they just glare and leave."

Carl looked up with strangely hopeful optics. "So you're saying that it's not just Chron that's been angry lately?"

Franny frowned. "Why are you so worried about this?" she paused. "Is Chron the reason you're hand is like this?"

"Of course not!" Carl said a little too quickly. Franny bit the inside of her cheek but didn't press the topic.

"Well, I need to melt it again if you want it in its original shape. Could you please get Wilbur? I want to ask him about something," Franny said. Carl detached his hand at the wrist and stepped out of the workshop in search of the youngest Robinson.

A/N

Ahh! Too short! –slaps self- It'll get longer, trust me. Review please!

Disclaimer: I don't own MTR, but I do own the countless OCs that have taken over the fic.


	5. Madness

A/N: Little language here. Careful, now.

**Lewis's Time**

"What has happened?"

Chron coughed after breathing in too much soot. He and Wilbur were watching the destroyed landscape of the star warrior home world. Already errant flecks of ash were turning Chron's hair less silver and more grayish black. He pointed towards one of the decrepit buildings.

"The signal came from there. C'mon!" he tugged Wilbur by the hand through the charred pieces of building. They hopped onto the steps and peeked inside.

"A… library?" Wilbur asked. Chron didn't say anything as he led Wilbur across the room to several overturned bookcases. Books with broken spines lay everywhere, though there was a very small neat pile of four books in the chaos, almost as if someone had tried to put order to things but was interrupted. Next to the pile was a black orb floating in the air.

The two teenagers hesitantly approached the floating thing. Three symbols were spinning in the orb, but they were going too fast for anyone to place. They merged to create a two-pronged spear…

Suddenly, everything exploded with sound. Something smashed into the delicate and small library. Its burned out supported decided that they had withstood enough punishment and splintered under the force. Chron grabbed Wilbur's wrist and a sturdy support beam above them to keep from falling. Their attacker screeched something in a language they did not know. Ugh, that screech sounded terrible. The language in itself seemed to be woven with madness in mind.

The door burst open and a creature staggered in. Wilbur's eyes widened when he took in the full appearance of the corrupted star warrior.

She had the customary black hair, though it seemed a little greasier than as per usual, and had unusually waxy and pale skin. Cheekbones jutted from under her sunken eyes and her skin was stretched tightly against her gaunt face. Her shirt bulged in the back like a balloon, and Wilbur was afraid of what hideous growth may have developed there. Her eyes were the regular blood red, though there was something wrong with them. She had cat pupils.

The corrupted lunged for the boys, spindly fingers and blackened fingernails outstretched. Chron let the support beam go and hit the floor, rolling out of the way before the floor had a chance to collapse. Wilbur straightened up behind him.

"Warn me when you're about to do that!" he whispered.

"Shut up!" Chron hissed angrily. The corrupted slid on the ground, catching herself expertly. She turned to them and grinned, showing long, abnormally pointy, white teeth. Now that Wilbur thought about it, she didn't look much like a corrupted.

She studied them like a cat studies a mouse. Her pupils narrowed in expectancy. She slowly licked her lips hungrily.

"Come here, children. I don't bite. Just a little trip to my siblings. Just a little trip to my siblings," she murmured soothingly. If it hadn't been for her horrific appearance, Wilbur would've believed her. Her voice was low and rich, perfect for lulling a small child to sleep. There was also something off to it too, as if there was an undertone of a growl there.

"Just a trip to my siblings. You know some of us, right? You'd like to see your friends… you'd like to see your friends…" she murmured, in a state of almost pitiable madness. She reached out to them, though Chron flinched away.

"Go away, bitch! You have no place here!" Chron shouted, eyes flashing. Wilbur looked worriedly at his usually placid, if sarcastic, friend. The corrupted continued without notice, her eyes glazed over slightly. She seemed to be looking at something no one else could see.

"They left me, you know… Left me in that dark place… They kept tellin' me we was friends… family… But they left me… They left me… THEY LEFT ME!" She screeched shrilly in raw emotion. Chron and Wilbur both clutched their ears to block out the noise. Her nails suddenly grew to about a foot and a half, and they suddenly looked incredibly sharp. With her natural black swords she lunged at Wilbur and knocked him down. She started ripping at him with her claws screaming the whole time.

"HE CAME AND GRABBED MY HAIR! HE THREW ME INTO THAT DARK PLACE! THEY, VICTORIA, JASON, TOM, THEY LEFT ME! THEY LEFT ME WITH HIM! HE TOUCHED ME AND DEGRADED ME, AND THEY RAN! THEY RAN! No one… no one there… no one to save me… AND HE STABBED ME, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN…!" With every shouted word she slashed at Wilbur, and Chron seemed to be held in a trance. He was staring at her, eyes wide as though he couldn't move from his spot.

"Help!" Wilbur choked out. Chron broke out of his reverie and snapped his hand towards the corrupted. Silver magic snapped at her, pushing her off of the now thoroughly bloodied Wilbur. The magic settled on the black-haired boy and healed the worst of his wounds. He scrambled up and stood next to Chron. The thing looked at Wilbur with a crazed look in her eyes.

"Beware, young one… Your friends will betray you too… They'll run when you need them most… They'll run… They'll run…" She began to rock side to side, pointing at Wilbur with a clawed hand. "That's what humanity is, isn't it? Man and womankind both… They're both fickle, aint they? They both are fair-weather friends… Not really caring, but there with you just to enjoy themselves? Won't they all leave you, when given the choice of your hide or theirs? They left me… They left me…" she murmured to herself. She sat cross-legged on the floor and continued rocking herself.

"_Don't you see  
we're in this together  
you and me…  
One on one forever…_" she sung to herself softly. The song was clumsily sung, not at all like usual star warrior singing. There were pauses when she would take a breath or she would shiver in the non-existent cold.

"_Don't you see  
we're in this together  
you and me…  
One on one forever…_" She suddenly paused in the song, mouth open as if she meant to sing more.

"But I guess we weren't in this together, were we?" she said finally.

"Let's go, before she gets violent again," Chron said, roughly taking Wilbur's wrist. Chron led the wounded teen to the almost-forgotten black orb by the books. The teacher dipped his hand into it and everything faded away.

A/N

Okay, the chapters should be getting longer soon. Please review! I need to know how I did with the crazy corrupted girl!

Disclaimer: Thee and thou doth owneth nothing, so why doth thee think that of me? (I've read too much Shakespeare.)


	6. New Lands

**Lewis's Time**

Wilbur woke up with a gasp. The air felt very cold all of the sudden. He thought he smelled earth…

"Are you okay?" a very concerned voice asked. Wilbur opened his eyes slightly and took in the sight of Chron leaning over him worriedly, much like how Wilbur's mother would lean over him when he was very sick. Wilbur shielded his eyes from the light and struggled to sit up. Chron placed a hand at the small of his back and helped him in his endeavor, and even after he was sitting Chron kept his hand firmly in place to keep him from toppling over.

"Yeah, your magic healed most of what that girl did. What happened back there?" Wilbur asked. Chron looked away, avoiding his friend's eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! I'm talking about taking forever to help me, and while we're at it, what was with the mood swing? One minute you're fine, the next you're shouting at everyone!" Wilbur looked at Chron almost accusatorially. Chron bit his lip awkwardly.

"I don't really know. It's like… the moment she came into the room, the moment she came near _me,_ I just felt weird. I felt so angry and sad at once, and I just wanted to hurt someone or something. When she was attacking you, it felt like I was being pulled two ways. I wanted to help you, but something was holding me back," Chron tried to explain. Wilbur sighed and waved it off.

"It's fine, we got away and I'm alive. First question is where we are." They both stood up and glanced at their surroundings. They were in a giant underground cave with a ceiling as high as the sky was on the surface. They were on a river bank, and said river was long, thick, gray, and looked a little dangerous.

"Guys! You came!" someone shouted. The teenagers turned around to see Lewis and Transeo running along the river bank to meet them.

"Of course we came!" Wilbur said.

"What happened the star warriors?" Chron asked. Lewis shrugged.

"We don't know. A week ago, we were talking to Risa and Justine, and then they mentioned their home being attacked and they disappeared. Today we went to find them, and we found the star warriors' land as it was." He shook his head. "You saw it; it looked like a storm of fire and axes went through the place. We went to the library and Transeo mentioned that I could contact the other star warriors. I tried and, well, here we are."

Wilbur looked around and bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, does anyone know where 'here' is?"

Everyone, silver-haired or not, shrugged their shoulders.

"I think I've seen this place before, but I can't really place my finger on it," Chron said slowly, scrutinizing the area around them. Lewis nodded in agreement.

"Same here."

"Are you sure? Lewis, I've been inside of you since you were born. What you saw, I saw. What you remember, I remember. And I don't remember this," Transeo pointed out, putting a hand to his chin.

"Yeah, what he said," Wilbur said, jerking a thumb towards his future father's star warrior side.

Chron and Lewis shrugged at the same time. "Don't ask me," Chron said, spreading his hands out.

"What are you doing here?"

The teenagers looked around for the voice that addressed them. The light around them seemed to dim, and they were pulled in as though they were children and the darkness was the skirt of their mother.

"Wh-who is this?" Lewis asked fearfully.

"…"

The teenagers felt the owner of the voice shy away, and Lewis made a hesitant movement forward.

"Excuse me?" Lewis asked, gaining more courage at the presence's skittishness. He took another step forward and reached into the darkness.

"…!!!…"

Lewis felt the presence slip further away into the darkness, and Wilbur stepped by his future father's side, eyes straining to see in the darkness.

"Hello?" Wilbur asked. Chron and Transeo warily made their way to their pupils.

"…You've met the Spirits…"

Transeo's eyes flicked around the darkness warily. "If you mean the star warriors, we are four of them," he said.

There was a shift, and the teenagers got the vague impression of someone swatting away an annoyance. "The star warriors, no. I don't fear them any longer. It's their siblings I fear. The Spirits."

"The Spirits?" Lewis asked.

"Demons. Creations of despair and hatred. The forsaken. You may call them what you will, but they are Spirits."

"They sound absolutely charming," Chron said sarcastically.

"You're telling me," the voice said dryly. "They've been everywhere. Before they just stayed in the shadows and attacked unfortunate drunks and the homeless. Now, they have attacked everyone. They have armies. Their mistress has released them."

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Transeo asked.

"…"

"Please! Does it have something to do with the star warriors? We need to know what happened to them!" Lewis begged.

"… Do you really want to know? The Spirits… they have already begun to spread their poison to one of you… You can go back home to your safe beds and pretend none of this happened. If I tell you, there will be no going back."

The teenagers looked at each other searchingly, each one looking deep into the other's eyes. They all found the answer there.

"We want to know," they all said at once.

"Very well. I'll tell you."

Their world melted away, and they felt power creating new surroundings.

A/N

I'm so sorry it took so long and is so short and is so crappy! I had writer's block, and it refused to let go! I warned you all that I wouldn't update as long this time, so hopefully I'm at least partially off the hook. Review please!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, but if you want to use anything that I do own, you'd better ask me first or I'll get MY lawyers on your ass!


	7. AN

A/N: Okay guys, I really need to say this. I'm seriously thinking of deleting this story and coming back to it when I'm more enthusiastic. It was a mistake for me to start writing a story I wasn't fired up about even in the beginning, and especially for trying to write said story with two other unfinished works. I really don't usually start something and not finish it, but the story's not coming out right, characters aren't coming out right, and all that jazz. Maybe I'll tackle it again sometime, but for now the story has died in my mind. To make this adhere to rules, I'm going to post what little of the next chapter I've managed to force on to the computer in the long time I haven't updated. (It's pathetically short, yeah, but like I said: I'm not enthusiastic about the story.)

Unknown

They were in a comfortable living room. Lewis looked up to see bookcases lining the walls, except for one wall. That one wall had a hearth that had a fire crackling inside, and there was a chair facing it. The floor was carpeted, and there was someone in the chair.

"Are you still sure you want to know?" a male voice asked tiredly from the chair.

"Yes, please," Lewis said tentatively.

"Very well. Sit down," he said, waving his hand. Two chairs appeared on the other side of the hearth, and the four teenagers squeezed into them.

Lewis squinted to get a good look at the owner of the voice. It was covered by a thick blanket, however.

"Who are you?" Lewis asked.

"Who am I… it's such an odd question to ask here. It has been… a long time since someone has uttered those words to me. Names don't seem to mean much anymore, just stories. Our stories." The bundle of blankets shifted, settling farther into the chair.

"I have not moved from here for a long time. I could easily heal myself, but I never found the reason to. But, you came here to ask about the Spirits. I shall tell you about them, yet… you seem to have met them already."

"What do you mean?" Chron asked slowly.

"First, you must know the entire story. Surely you didn't think that the corrupt would leave, did you?"

"They're behind this?!" Lewis asked, eyes widening to big round crystals.

"Of course…. Hecate was more than willing to answer their prayer."

"Hecate…?" Wilbur asked.

"First… I don't believe that you would wish to hear a story when there are only some of you…."

An impossibly pale and wrinkled hand stuck out of the blanket and gestured to the rug in front of it. Tess, Risa, and Justine appeared on it, sound asleep.

"What? What are you doing with them?" Chron asked, eyes sharpening.

"How else was I to save them from the spirits?" the figure sighed, hunching over a little further.

"How many times have you mentioned spirits now? Tell us what they are!" Wilbur said, growing increasingly distrustful.

"I'll tell you. I'll tell you."


End file.
